This invention relates to the removal of shrubs, specifically honeysuckles, including Amur honeysuckles. It will also work on other shrubs with a similar type of root system, which is a hard root ball with horizontally extending support roots that stay within two to 8 inches from ground level.
Amur honeysuckle is a fast growing and spreading alien species first imported into the U.S. in 1870. Its purpose was for use as a decorative shrub line.
Honeysuckles have now proliferated into 24 states and are considered an invasive species by many national, state and university horticulture and parks organizations, some of which have active honeysuckle removal programs. These plants are damaging the natural eco-system by preventing natural growth in and around wooded areas.
The instant invention was created from the inventor's desire to remove a honeysuckle infestation. Other weed and shrub pulling devices on the market are effective in removing small honeysuckles; however, it was found that they were inadequate for removing honeysuckles over an inch or two in diameter. One reason is that an inadequate surface is available to prevent the tool from sinking into the ground when significant pressure is applied to leverage the honeysuckle. Furthermore, said devices have no mearts to engage the bottom of a root bail. Also, such tools tend to slide away from the honeysuckle reducing their efficiency. Lastly, they are not adapted for use as a root breaker to facilitate removal of the shrub.
An example of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,325 issued Mar. 11, 1998 to DeKrmond entitled “Weed Pulling Device.,” Although this tool provides a means of leverage to extract the plant, it has features that make it unsuitable for the heavy duty use required to remove honeysuckles of any substantial size. For example, the flat forked blade on the tip of the tool tends to catch on the horizontal roots (which are very difficult to cut) instead of sliding between and underneath the roots. The blade is designed to cut and directly engage the roots beneath the plant, but honeysuckles generally have no roots directly underneath except for small fibrous roots which do not contribute to the stability of the shrub. The honeysuckle does not have a tap root, nor does it exhibit vertical roots of any significant size. Another undesirable feature is the curved leverage member which also aasily sinks into the soft ground where honeysuckles commonly grow.
Another prior art tool is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,759 issued Aug. 15, 1989 to Ness entitled “Woody Plant Extractor.” This tool works by pulling from above rather than pushing up on the bottom of the root ball, but it can only handle shrubs up to 2½ inches in diameter. This limits one's ability to remove an entire patch of honeysuckle growth since many honeysuckle are larger than that.
Therefore, there is a need for a tool which will give one person the ability to easily remove shrubs such as honeysuckles up to 10 inches or more in diameter at the base and to provide a tool which .Is optimized for this purpose.